Paul LePage Travels to Washington After Declaring Victory in Maine

Former Republican Governor Paul LePage has arrived in Washington after declaring victory in Maine's 2nd Congressional District, Fox News reported. LePage leads his Democratic rival Matt Dunlap by 5,000 votes, though the state is still finishing its ranked-choice voting count. Dunlap conceded the race on Thursday, November 5, Fox News added. [1]

The congressional seat is the largest east of the Mississippi River by area, according to Fox News. Donald Trump won the district in all three of his presidential elections. Fox News reported that if the result holds, LePage's win would mark the only flip from blue to red for the House Republicans. [1][8]

House Republicans returned to Capitol Hill on Monday after losing control of the House of Representatives, the Washington Examiner reported. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Democrats secured majorities in both the House and the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections, which took place during President Donald Trump's second term. [2][3][4][13]

Lawmakers have only 20 legislative days left before Democrats assume power, according to the Washington Examiner. Unfinished items remaining for the current session include the annual defense authorization bill, federal government funding, and the reauthorization of a key government surveillance tool. [2][4]